Exhibition Dates: April 11 – June 6, 2024
Granular Landscapes featured artist Soo Kim’s building of rich landscapes of subtle color and granular forms featured in her series Rice Cakes alongside the micro-sound layers of sculptor Claire Paul. The artists bring forward universal ideas and concepts through their choice of medium. Its universality considers intellectual greatness and humanity’s relationship to and reliance upon the natural elements.
“The works of Soo Kim and Claire remind us that small things matter when we consider life’s larger considerations,” stated Gallery Director Shannon Morris.
As a child of Korean immigrants, Soo Kim Yung embraces the cultural clashes that often result in two countries’ customs and traditions intertwining. This body of work celebrates the making of rice cakes (tteok), passed down through generations and reflects the qualities of diligence, order, and harmony. Similarly, multi-media artist Claire Paul invites music and sound collages to inspire the content of her visual art. Her installation features granular sounds and inspired imagery.
Soo Kim Yung
Soo Kim Yung (b. 1990) is a multi-disciplinary artist whose artistic journey is deeply intertwined with her family’s immigrant experience in the United States. Raised with the help of her grandparents, who had endured the hardships of the Korean War and witnessed their homeland’s remarkable transformation from poverty to prosperity, Soo’s work explores the power of shared experience, inviting viewers to embark on a thoughtful and culturally rich artistic voyage through her works. Her work bridges the gap between past and present, individual and collective, and heritage and contemporary life.
The process of meticulously placing each grain of rice pays homage to a time when rice was scarce. It conveys a deep respect for the struggles and resilience of those who endured such scarcity. Through her artworks, Soo hopes to capture the values of diligence, order, and harmony, creating tangible testaments to these principles.
Currently residing in Sandy Springs, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, Soo holds a BFA in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is a featured artist in the Mint Gallery’s Leap Year Artist program in 2023. Premiere galleries and institutions such as the Besharat Museum Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Mason Fine Arts (Atlanta, GA), Stay Home Gallery (Paris, TN), Swan Coach House Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Atlanta Contemporary (Atlanta, GA), Mint Gallery (Atlanta, GA), and Echo Contemporary Art (Atlanta, GA) feature her work.
Claire Paul
Paul was selected for two international shows while working in Greece, SEAS International Art Exhibition (2016) and RADIOMEGA Ionion Center Art Exhibition (2016), and on her return, she was invited to create a show at Kibbee Gallery in collaboration with Angus Galloway (2016).
Paul frequently shows and performs around Atlanta, including recording contributions and partnerships with other artists. In 2015, this resulted in an LP titled “Drawing Through.” She was the first musician to play the electronic bassoon at Eddie’s Attic during an open mic performance (2007) and as a collaborator in various musical acts in Orlando, Florida (2001-2003). Paul regularly presents at academic conferences and serves as a teaching artist for universities, including the Georgia Women’s Conference, Atlanta Science Festival, CCHA Conference, Georgia State University, and Agnes Scott College.
